The 2022 International Wine and Spirits Competition has awarded its first ever RTD Producer Trophy, with Curatif scoring the inaugural gong.

The judges said: “Curatif is a producer of exceptional ready to serve can cocktails and its entrants performed incredibly well in our 2022 awards including Gold medals for its Jacoby’s Trader Vic’s Mai Tai, Never Never Negroni and Archie Rose Espresso Martini.”

Australia also took out five Gold medals in the RTD category this year, with three of them going to RTD Producer Trophy winner Curatif.

“With three Gold medals as well as a swag of high scoring silver already in the trophy cabinet, we’ve been wowed by the recognition from the judges,” Curatif founder Matt Sanger said.

“Our absolute obsession with fresh and authentic ingredients combined with our partnership with class leading spirit and liqueur makers, as well as a singular focus on honouring the recipes of truly great cocktails is on display in every single drink we make and we love that we get to share these great drinks with so many awesome people.”

“It’s a real, tangible, best in the world accolade and it’s awesome. I’m so proud of what we’ve done in such a short period of time, and it’s rare air we’re breathing right now.

“So, congratulations Team Curatif – for this moment in time we are the best in the world. With everything that’s in front of us and how great this team is, I reckon we’ll be hard to beat for a while yet.

“For now, it’s back to the bar to get some more drinks ready – we’ve got some killer cocktails launching in a few weeks, it’s going to be a pretty ‘hot’ summer!”

Sanger celebrated with fellow winners Four Pillars Co-Founder and Distiller Cameron Mackenzie and Four Pillars Operations Director Michelle Hall who accepted the 2022 Green Spirit Initiative Trophy at the gala awards night in London.

IWSC said there appeared to be no slowing down for the ‘on the move’ cocktail category. It noted RTD and pre-mixed category was an area of growth, with entries growing by almost 200% versus 2021, making the IWSC the largest RTD awards in the world.

IWSC Judging Committee member Shannon Tebay said: “Probably something that caught me off guard in a wonderful way, was the number of high-quality RTD’s (ready to drink) we tasted.

“Generally speaking, RTD’s are a relatively new drinks category and tasting so many today, that ended up performing very, very well I think is indicative of the fact that this category is here to stay.

“People are really putting a lot of thought and effort into RTD’s, thinking about how to give consumers a high-quality cocktail in a way that they can have at home or on the move.”

Click here to see all the photos from the awards night

Top 5 Aussie RTDs at the IWSC

Five Australian entries in the RTD & Premix category scored more than 95 points, securing them Gold medals. Scoring three Gold medals secured the RTD Producer Trophy for Curatif.

The Everleigh Bottling Co – Americano

The judges said: “A complex herbal nose of winter spice, a splash of caramel, gentian and dried citrus fruits with a well balanced palate of cloves, coffee with excellent bitterness and lingering finish. A very good example.”

Curatif – Archie Rose Espresso Martini

The judges said: “Deep-roasted freshly brewed coffee, chocolate, cherry, nuts, toffee, cocoa and vanilla notes expressing bold and punchy aroma characteristics on the nose. A sweet palate balanced by the coffee bitterness; rich chocolate notes continue to linger on the finish.”

Curatif – Jacoby’s Trader Vic’s Mai Tai

The judges said: “Tropical fruit characteristics (mainly pineapple and mango), rum forward showing aromatics and esters on the nose. A nice tartness, bright and vibrant with balancing citrus characteristics and full-bodied with punchy tropical flavours and alcohol; a rum kick finish.”

Curatif – Never Never Negroni

The judges said: “Campari notes, rich, woody, floral and vermouth aroma characteristics on the nose. A balanced palate with bitter orange flavour characteristics; the bitterness and gin on the palate balance with present sweetness. A robust finish ending with hints of clove and cardamom lingering on.”

Naked Life Spirits – Non-Alcoholic Canadian Rye Spirit Dry & Lime

The judges said: “Light and delicate whisky characters on the nose with a rounded mouthfeel of spiced ginger and fresh lime and an aromatic capsicum long finish giving balance and texture.”

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